To Be Magic
by PsychDragoonX-Archives
Summary: [Squall X Rinoa] While they were enjoying their moment of quietness, the angel flew away from her lion. Why?
1. Chapter I: Everything That You Do

Author's Note: Greetings, readers. I've decided to write a serious mini-series of Final Fantasy VIII. Note, that this was conceived late one night. XD But I want to make this at least 3 chapters. This contains spoilers for FFVIII, of course. And I am a strong believer in Squall X Rinoa.

Disclaimer: I do not own legal rights to Final Fantasy VIII. It is property of Squaresoft/Enix/Whatever they call themselves.

Enjoy!

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**To Be Magic**

**Chapter I: Everything That You Do**

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A nice breeze drifted through the air of the night. Balamb Garden was sailing in the sea of water and the sea of stars. People were enjoying themselves in merriment over the defeat of Ultimecia, for former bane of all reality as they knew it. Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartily were spending time together… in romance, in confidence, in love. The lion and the angel were a perfect match created by the stars that they were gazing at.

_Things have changed so fast… And I was able to keep up. I've learned that no one person by themselves can survive. People were created for one another. We need each other to survive whatever fate has in store… I had a façade of strength before I've met Rinoa, but that was because I've been hurt. I believed you could only live with the strength of self, but I've learned that you can only live with the strength of friendship. Love… is friendship taken to the next level. I always knew what I felt, confused, but I always knew… I was weak._

_Things have changed so fast… And I was unable to keep up. I've known that no one person by themselves can survive. People were created for one another. We need each other to survive whatever fate has in store… I thought I was strong, whenever I would do the foolish things that caused trouble for everyone. For Squall. I believed I could solve anything with the power of friendship, and it turns out I was right. Love… is what I feel. Love… is how Squall would save me whenever I got myself into trouble. All this, but I still feel left out of his life… I am weak. Why am I weak? Is it that love has diminished all chances of me being strong? … I cannot be weak, what if Squall dies protecting me? I would never live with myself._

Squall and Rinoa contemplated their own thoughts. Squall seemed more positive than before. Rinoa seemed more negative than before. Squall looked at Rinoa with a smile, a smile of thankfulness. _She really has helped me realize that we need one another's motivation to live, to risk our own lives for another._ Rinoa, on the other hand, returned the glance, but not with a smile.

"Rinoa, what's the matter?" his expression changed to one of concern.

"I…I…" Rinoa began. Tears started to water in her eyes and her lips trembled. "I can't protect myself."

"But… remember our promise? Our promise in the Ragnarok? I will always be your knight."

"But what if you get killed… for me?"

"…"

"What if I become corrupted by my sorceress powers and kill you?"

"That… I am willing to die for you."

"Then I cannot live with myself."

"I-I'm sorry, I must leave now," she said quickly as she ran to her room, letting her tears flow a graceful stream of sparkles.

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What do you think at my first attempt at a romance/drama fic?


	2. Chapter II: I Watch You In Your Sleep

Author's Note: Thank you for reading this! I promise it'll get better and longer because this isn't written at 4 AM. XD

Disclaimer: I do not own legal rights to Final Fantasy VIII or their characters and anything related. They are property of Squaresoft/Enix/Whatever. If you sue me, all you'll get is my paper and pencils that I use to rough draft. This laptop is mine, but the only way anybody can get it is if you pry it off my cold, dead fingers. And you don't want to kill me just for my laptop, then you won't have the wonderful ego that comes with my stories!

But I talk excessively, enjoy!

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**To Be Magic**

**Chapter II: I Watch You In Your Sleep**

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Squall was as clear of Rinoa's departure as a heavily tinted window with muddy fingerprints all over it. _W-What? What's the matter…_ He decided to visit her room to see what the matter was. He met up with Quistis along the way.

"Hi Squall, Rinoa just ran by here… Is everything ok?" she asked with genuine concern in her eyes and voice.

"I… I really don't know what's the matter. I was on my way to see her."

"Alright, I'll go with you. We are like sisters, she can talk to me."

"No," Squall interjected. "I have an idea of what the problem is…"

"What is it?"

"No… Its nothing."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The conversation took much more time than he expected. _I'm afraid she'll do something irrational. I can't afford to lose you, Rinoa._ His mind raced with thoughts as he began to race with his feet. _No, Rinoa will do nothing irrational, I'm just very worried about her. She did, after all, capture my heart and soften it from cold, hard steel into a warm, touchy gelatin. But I must comfort her… This… This would be my first time feeling close to someone in a very long time. To lose control of her emotions would mean the loss of control of my emotions… How I became this attached to her, I don't know. But I'm very glad that she entered my life._

He finally arrived at her room, stopping for a moment to hear the soft, yet harsh, sobs echo through the door. He didn't need convincing to help her, but he wanted to share her suffering. This is much contrary to his old ways. Squall decided that he couldn't share her pain by just standing there, so he finally inhaled deeply and knocked.

She coughed. "Y-Yes? W-Who is i-it?" she called in between sobs and coughs. He answered by entrance.

"Rinoa…"

"Squall!" she latched onto him, knowing his full intentions. They embraced for minutes, or hours. "I don't want to lose you! Ever!" she bawled.

"But I am here for you," he replied with a serene sincerity that would have killed Ultimecia on the spot. "Always."

Rinoa's crying has been calmed to sniffles. "I'll be here, waiting for you."

"Waiting… If you call, I'll come running to here. To find you."

"I need to learn to defend myself, so if you call, I'll come running here. To find you."

They kissed.

After what seemed hours, they finally let go and sat together on her bed.

Rinoa started, "I plan to start the SeeD classes tomorrow." As if on cue, there was a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" Squall asked.

"Squall? What are you doing here? It's after midnight." They both recognized the voice as Cid's.

Squall opened the door while responding, "I was just talking with Rinoa."

Cid smiled. "You've changed so much. Was I interrupting anything?"

Rinoa stood up and walked over to Squall's side and said, "No, we were finishing up."

"Well, in that case, shall I come in? I'm only staying for a short while."

"Yes, please come in."

So after Cid settled in one of her chairs, with Squall and Rinoa on her bed, he began to speak. "As you know, Rinoa, classes start again tomorrow."

Rinoa giggled, "We were just talking about that."

"Oh? Well, I always come to pep up my new students personally the day before classes. With your sorceress powers, I'm sure you'll exceed our expectations." He smiled for reassurance. Then it turned into a frown. "But…" The door had a knock again.

"Come in!" Rinoa said.

It was Edea. She came inside with graceful stepping of that of a cat's. She also purred melodically like a cat, "But dear, I foresee something dangerous. Please, be careful. I do not know what it is, all I have is intuition." She then turned to Cid. "Dear, it is getting late, come."

"Yes, I was finished anyway." He stood up from his chair and started to leave with Edea who already was walking away. "I expect much from you. Goodnight." He turned back around and walked off.

"Rinoa, just curious. When did you find the time to sign up for classes?" Squall broke the nearly non-existent silence.

"Well, when we were at Laguna's Presidential Palace that one night we stayed there before ramming into the Lunatic Pandora, I was restless. I talked with him and he suggested that I take the classes. So, I called Cid the next morning, before anyone else woke up. He said that he would accept me into the curriculum if we defeated Ultimecia. This helped me remind myself of the failure I've been…" she trailed off, turning her gaze to the floor.

"You haven't been a failure. You've helped us greatly. But you've helped me the most," Squall reminded her.

She brightened back up again. "Yes, you're right. Well, I have to sleep now, goodnight." She kissed him once more and he left. She turned off her lights and she fell asleep immediately, since she was so exhausted from her depression before.

Squall looked back. He whispered, "Goodnight, my angel."

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Well, that was a quick update! At least, a quick update for me. As usual, I appreciate all opinions and constructive criticism. –_Starts writing the next chapter_-


	3. Chapter III: Singing Your Last Lullaby

Author's Note: Hey all! I'm glad to all of you reading and those who took the time to review so far and enjoying this mini series. Well, nothing much more to report except for the fact I've been listening to a couple of Eyes On Me remixes. OCRemix is a good place. Anyways…

Disclaimer: How can I really say this…? I. Do. Not. Own. Final. Fantasy. VIII. Period.

Enjoy!

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**To Be Magic**

**Chapter III: Singing Your Last Lullaby**

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Rinoa seemed very hopeful that she'll succeed in the SeeD training classes. She validated her hopes and aspirations by making her way on to the top of all of her classes. Squall and the educational counsel eventually moved her to the advanced classes. Rinoa breezed through them, due to her sorceress powers. Other students were jealous, some ego fanatical ones labeled her as a cheater, as she had several powerful GFs equipped from the time compression journey. Because of this, she was still a social outcast outside her circle of friends. That's all what she needed. Her friends… and Squall.

_I should really give Squall a visit, to show him my progress. To show him… That I'm satisfying my strengths to defeat my fears._ Rinoa eventually reached to the door of Squall's office and stopped for a moment. _But… I still fear my sorcery. It will possess me again. Squall will come running, only to get killed… by me…_ She hesitated before raising her hand to knock, but decided against it. She turned around to leave only to see a smiling Selphie bounding towards her. _She's always so cheerful. So carefree._

"Hiya Rinny! How've you been?" Selphie asked with a smile so bright, it lit the darkness of Rinoa's heart.

Rinoa smiled back, alleviated of her thoughts momentarily. "I've been fine, Selphie. What're you doing here?"

"Oh, I was on my way to invite everyone to a little get together later on. Wanna come?"

"Sure! What time and where?"

"Tonight at 8 at my dorm!"

"Ok, I'll be there," she was happy that she still had her friends. She did not care for other peoples' opinion anymore. One step closer to strength…

"Great! Now if you would excuse me…" Selphie began. Rinoa nodded and started to walk off.

_I don't have anymore classes for the rest of the day, so I should go to my room and get to my studies for tonight. I'll tell everyone about my achievements in my classes then._ Rinoa thought with a smile on her way to her room.

She got to her room, and took a quick shower. After she came out and dried herself, there was a knock at her door. She answered it to reveal a delivery man.

"Good day, Ms. Heartily. You have a package from Dr. Odine."

"Oh, its finally here. Thank you," Rinoa signed for it and tipped the man.

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_"Hello? Is Dr. Odine there?"_

_"Is this important?"_

_"Yes, it regards his latest experiment, the Sorceress Requiem Braclet."_

_"Please hold."_

_"Yeeez?"_

_"Dr. Odine, this is Rino-"_

_"Ah, yez, ze zorzerezz. You want to control your power, no?"_

_"Yes, could you please tell me more about your experiment?"_

_"Ah, yez. Zis brazlet will allow you to channel your zorzerezz powerz into ze realms ov reality. Zis will take ze powerz and form with your mind in order to reproduce your zoughts momentarily. Alzo, it will make your inner zubconzious come out also. For ze example, you equeep ze brazlet and you are thinking of training your powerz to make them stronger and into your control. Zis will take form of whatever you wish. Any questionz?"_

_"So… if I were to, say, wanting to alter reality completely…"_

_"No. You cannot do zat. And ze reason iz because that it would change all reality, not ze intended effect of power manifestation."_

_"…I see."_

_"And remember, zis iz ztill in ze beta, and you are still willing to test zis, yez?"_

_"Yes. I am."_

_"Good. I will send zis to you immediately." Click._

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Knock knock. "Hey! Rinny! It's late! Are you ready?"

No answer.

"Rinoa!" called Selphie again.

Still no answer.

"What's the matter! I'm coming in!" And Selphie walked in, only to reveal a shocking surprise. Rinoa was absent. "…? Maybe she's in the library still studying?" She took out her cell phone and called Irvine to see if he saw Rinoa.

"No… sorry, I suggest you have Squall call her on the intercom."

And she did just that.

"Rinoa Heartily, please report to the Commander's office."

10 minutes later, no sign of Rinoa.

They waited longer.

Still no response.

"Where IS she? I'm going to run a student locator scan in through the entire Garden," Squall responded to everyone's worried expressions.

There was no trace of Rinoa.

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Aha! A cliffhanger! Well, you'll just have to wait and see where Rinoa really is. Then… -_starts writing the next chapter_-


	4. Chapter IV: Every Step That You Take

Author's Note: Hello all! Thank you to all those who reviewed! I don't have much to say now, but enjoy this latest installment.

Disclaimer: I don't exactly own the legal rights to Final Fantasy VIII, they're Square-Enix's. Therefore, I'm just writing this for fun, so don't sue me, k?

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**To Be Magic**

**Chapter IV: Every Step That You Take**

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"Godammit! Where _is_ Rinoa!" Squall exclaimed and shouted to no one in particular.

Although, Quistis picked up an answer, "Hmm… How about if we scan the world map? She could be in more danger than we think, as there's mostly land with numerous amounts of monsters."

"But she's a sorceress! She'll hold them off!" Selphie added hope to the grim situation.

"You're right. I'm scanning now," Squall started to enter all the possible coordinates for the radar to scan. "While we wait for a complete scan, let's deploy all of the Garden students all over various regions. Except for The Island Closest to Hell, that's where I'll go."

"But man, you're not going alone! You're gonna get killed!" reminded Zell, punching furiously in the air.

"You're right… You and Selphie come with me." They both nodded and they started to leave. "And Quistis, keep an eye on the radar and report to me as soon as you see anything." She nodded and went to the radar, typing commands to bring charts and screens up to the large monitor. "Irvine, you deploy the rest of the students to the wherever the radar signifies."

Irvine gave an eager "Yessir!" and moved his chair to the maps. Squall and the other two waited nervously to descend onto The Island Closest to Hell.

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"Quistis, come in, Quistis," Squall called for Quistis on his communicator. "Have you found anything yet?"

"No, I'm scanning again, focusing on that island."

"I see…" Squall started, interrupted by the sight of a Marlboro. "Over and out!"

They engaged in battle. The Marlboro slithered its way to the group of three, preparing a Bad Breath attack.

Zell attempted to run behind it, dodging most of its tentacle whippings, but thrown back with a heavy bruise on his chest. "Cura!" a resounding chant was yelled by Selphie.

Meanwhile, Squall stood there and concentrated, trying to get his adrenaline and focus to execute a Lion Heart limit break.

After recovering, Zell nodded a thanks to Selphie quickly and casted a Firaga spell on the Marlboro, effectively severing a few tentacles.

Selphie summoned Ifrit, damaging it even further to the point that its weakening severely and most of its body is charred. Things seemed to be in their favor.

The Marlboro was slow, but eventually released its devastation. Zell automatically attacked Selphie, while she countered with a Tornado spell. Fortunately, Squall was spared since he was meditating, therefore sparing him of the confusion effect.

After a while, complete with lashings from the Marlboro's remaining tentacles and Zell and Selphie beating each other due to the Bad Breath, Squall was slowly lowering his gunblade and rushed at it screaming, "Lion Heart!"

Slash after slash beyond slash he overkilled the Marlboro with the usual grandiose of his final limit break. Squall then quickly casted Esuna on Zell and Selphie. He tried to contact Quistis again, but got Edea instead. "Squall, dear, we've found Rinoa."

"Oh thank Hyne… Where is she?"

"She is unconscious in her room."

"What! But… the scan over the Garden revealed nothing…"

"Yes, while that is true, her disappearance has something to do with the island. My sorceress powers and intuition tell me that there is something you need to investigate within a cave to your west."

"A cave? But that wasn't there before…"

"Indeed, but it has something to deal with Rinoa. Please, take search of it now. We shall talk more later. Over and out."

"A… cave? Yo, you know what this is all about, Selphie?" asked Zell.

"No, but let's move quickly before we become monster food!"

"Right," Squall acknowledged. He checked the mini map on his multitasking communicator for a cave to the west. Indeed there was a new cavern on the map, much to their surprise.

After a somewhat long trek and encounters with monsters, they finally reached the mysterious cave. It had a small entrance and it looked small, but big enough for a somewhat large shrine. Squall attempted to contact Edea, but all he received was static and interruptions. "Damn… I should be checking on Rinoa."

"Yo Squall! My GFs are acting up! Maybe we should see what this is all about," Zell got his attention.

"Yeah! Mine too!" added Selphie.

"Also mine… let's go."

They walked in to be greeted by a shrine-like place that had a motif that would make the holiest church grow envious. Before they could take any more steps forward, Squall doubled over in an unseen pain. "Augh! W-What's going on!" Selphie and Zell tried to help him, but he collapsed quickly.

Squall wasn't exactly unconscious, because he had a dream.

He was alone, wandering through the shrine. It was cold and bright inside. He shivered from the coldness and the shivers from Doomtrain, Bahamut, and Eden. Squall became scared because his GFs were starting to moan and felt their pain. Despite this, he continued. Eventually, he reached the main prayer room of the shrine that had statues of all the sorceresses that ever existed with their power. They were in order of when they were defeated. Squall observed that the last one was Ultimecia and that there were two broken statues in crumbled pieces. Suddenly, the rocks and boulders next to Ultimecia's statue levitated and glow with a black aura.

His intuition and logic told him to get out, and he tried to, but a cage fell down around him. He lost all feeling.

Zell and Selphie were waiting patiently for Squall to awaken. And he did at that moment. "What happened?" Selphie inquired.

"I had a dream…" and Squall proceeded to tell them what happened, resulting in shocked expressions and a worried trio.

"I think we should leave for now…"

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What is this mysterious cave doing there? What about the statues? Will Rinoa wake up?


	5. Chapter V: Fate Has Your Destiny

Author's Note: Thank you all for reviewing so far! Well, nothing much to say, but enjoy this chapter and I hope this answers some questions.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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**To Be Magic**

**Chapter V: Fate Has Your Destiny**

**Author: PsychDragoonX**

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The group all congregated in Squall's office.

"Squall, have you seen Rinoa yet?" began Quistis.

"Yes, I have, he's physically fine, but she's just unconscious," Squall replied. He then directed his next question to Edea. "Matron, can you predict when she'll awaken?"

A gloomier than usual expression befell her face. "No, my sorceress powers are fading quickly. I fear…"

"Sorceress powers fading? But… Don't sorceress thrive and live off of their magics? If the powers fade… Oh no…" Quistis gasped and her eyes shimmered with the tears that flowed quickly down her face.

"Yes… And there are no candidates for me to pass on my powers. I am growing older and older, I cannot handle my own powers anymore. I apologize, everyone."

"No need…" Squall hesitated. "…It's inevitable…"

"Thank you for the caring life you have allowed me to experience. I… I am tired… I must… rest," Edea concluded. Cid walked her out and to her room while everyone mourned…

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"Rinoa… wake up…"

No reply.

"Rinoa… If you can hear me, please listen."

No reply.

"Sorceress powers are a dangerous entity to manage. It can fell nations. It can fell the wielders," Edea started, with complete depression. She had asked Cid to wait outside, and when he heard no more talking from her voice, to come in and check on Rinoa.

"Please… allow me to use the last of my powers to awaken you." She focused her hands on Rinoa's head, a light blue and white aura glowing around Rinoa.

After a while of the spirit energy transfer, Edea concluded… her life…, "Rinoa, you were always the child I wish I had raised…"

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Later, Cid returned to the orphanage gang in Squall's office, with a solemn expression written on his face. "Rinoa… Is awake. Edea had used the last of her powers to pray for a blessing for Rinoa that would awaken her and extend her life span considerably. She will not die from her sorceress powers."

Squall nearly jumped up, "She's alright?"

Cid nodded. "Yes… Please excuse me, I must mourn and grieve for my wife." With that, he left.

"Let's check up on her!" Selphie piped up excitedly.

"No, I want to see her alone first," Squall stopped Selphie's excitement.

And he left.

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He opened the door to her room. "Rinoa?"

"Squall!" Rinoa ran over and hugged him, crying profusely.

"What's going on!" Rinoa faded away.

"…Not again."

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Aren't I horrible? Leaving you with a cliffhanger?


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